Developmental Disabilities

Pennsylvania Contacts

State Agency Responsible for Providing Services to the Developmentally Disabled

General background information about services for individuals with disabilities can be found at the following website:

The Department of Public Welfare administers a variety of programs for individuals with developmental disabilities through the Office of Mental Retardation. These services include home and community based services as well as employment services. Mental Retardation Services are administered through county Mental Health/Mental Retardation (MH/MR) program offices. These offices are part of county government and are overseen by a county MH/MR administrator. The county MH/MR offices serve as a referral source and most services are delivered by local provider agencies under contract with the county MH/MR office. The county MH/MR office determines a person's eligibility for service funding and if found eligible a person will receive a Supports Coordinator. A directory of services and supports can be found at the following website:

State Agency Responsible for Overseeing Employment Opportunities for the Developmentally Disabled

The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) under the Department of Labor and Industry provides individualized services to assist people with disabilities to pursue, obtain, and maintain satisfactory employment. An OVR counselor will help select an employment goal and develop a comprehensive strategy to meet the needs of the consumer. OVR placement services are provided at no cost to eligible individuals with disabilities. The location of local OVR offices can be found at the following website:

Sheltered Employment

Pre-vocational services prepare people for paid employment. They are provided in a facility licensed by the Department of Public Welfare under the Ch. 2390 regulations. These services are offered through county mental health/mental retardation programs or through contracted private organizations. As part of the licensing, vocational service providers are required to conduct monthly inspections of the physical site, production process and machines and equipment. Transitional work services offer work experience in a real work environment that is highly supervised. These environments are often known as enclaves, mobile work force, affirmative industry, work station in industry, and transitional employment. To locate services in your area, a list of contact information for County MH/MR programs can be found at:

Competitive Employment

Many jobs require on-site training. Many people learn a job better and faster when they work in a real job situation. Depending on the job and the time it takes to train a new employee, OVR can reimburse employers for a percentage of the weekly wage for a specified period of time. Both the percentage and the time are negotiable. The employer is responsible for providing the trainer. Job coaching is also available for individuals needing intensive on-site job training. Individuals needing this service require more extensive training time or assistance than an employer is able to provide. OVR can hire a Job Coach who does the actual skill training rather than the employer. The Coach works alongside the employee until the employee learns the job to the employer's and employee's satisfaction. Job Coaches provide follow-up support to both the employee and the employer. These training programs enable employers to acquire trained skilled employees capable of satisfying the specific needs of their business. The employee has the added advantage of earning wages while undergoing training.

Health and Safety

Pennsylvania employers who want help in recognizing and correcting safety and health hazards and in improving their safety and health programs can get it from a free consultation service largely funded by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor. The service is provided through the Pennsylvania OSHA Consultation Program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The program addresses immediate problems and also offers professional advice and help in maintaining continued, effective worker protection. Besides helping employers to identify and correct specific hazards, consultants provide guidance in establishing or improving an effective safety and health program and offer training and education for the employer, the employer's supervisors, and employees.

Workers in Public employment settings are covered by the Worker and Community Right-to-Know Act.

Individuals employed by a private organization are protected by the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). There are 6 area offices in Pennsylvania:

Reporting Abuse and Neglect

Pennsylvania does not have a hotline for reporting abuse or neglect for individuals with developmental disabilities.

According to the regulations of Ch. 2390, staff or clients of vocational facilities witnessing or having knowledge of an abusive act to a client shall report it to the chief executive officer or designee within 24 hours using the web-based system.

The chief executive officer or designee shall investigate reports of abuse and prepare and send a report to the Regional Office of Mental Retardation and the funding agency within 24 hours of the initial report. If the initial report occurs during a weekend, the Regional Office of Mental Retardation and the funding agency shall be notified within 24 hours after the initial report and the abuse investigation report shall be sent on the first business day following the initial report. The report shall either support or deny the allegation and make recommendations for appropriate action. The chief executive officer or designee shall implement changes immediately to prevent abuse in the future.

Incidents of criminal abuse shall be reported immediately to law enforcement authorities.

Protection and Advocacy

In order to encourage and support the creation of an environment in which all citizens of Pennsylvania can thrive without regard to disability, the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council will advance the empowerment of citizens with disabilities, ensure access to goods, services and community supports needed by citizens with disabilities, and foster relationships that build inclusive communities.

The Disability Rights Network of Pennsylvania (DRN) is a non-profit statewide public interest law firm that provides legal assistance and other services to individuals with disabilities, their organizations, their families, and their advocates. DRN's main purpose is to advocate for the civil rights of persons with mental and physical disabilities, especially their right to live as integral parts of their communities. DRN works to ensure that people with disabilities have equal and unhindered access to employment, transportation, public accommodations, and government services; to enforce their rights to vocational, habilitative, post-secondary educational, health, and other services; and to protect them from abuse and neglect. DRN identifies systematic issues which are important to people with disabilities and seeks change and reform through litigation, administrative advocacy, and public education.